~ 2018 Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation Board of Directors~

News source: My Muskoka Now

By Taylor Ablett

Back row from left to right: Lisa Patel, Regan Lee, Tom Wilkinson, Bradley Mayer-Harman, Barb Whitney & Vince Mirabelli (not shown)

Front row from left to right: Shelly Gracey, Crystal Henderson, President, Debbie Vernon, President -Elect, Wendy Giroux & Harjit Singh Khalsa).

A Muskoka realtor is leading the charge for an Ontario-wide foundation that supports shelter-based charities. Debbie Vernon, who has been a realtor for 18 years and works in Bracebridge, was voted in as the President of the Ontario Realtors Cares Foundation during the Ontario Real Estate Association’s annual conference at the beginning of March.

Vernon says the foundation, which just celebrated its 40 anniversary, was established to support shelters across Ontario. She says the majority of the funding comes from realtors across the province.

Vernon says they also hold some fundraisers throughout the year, like a motorcycle ride which raised $26,00 last year.

She says the fund is around $4 million, and last year around $1 million was given to various charities, including around $17,000 in cottage country. She says the Lakelands Association of Realtors decides where the money goes in Muskoka.

Shelter-based charities can apply for this year’s fund on the Lakelands website. Vernon says that also includes breakfast clubs at schools.

For further details about the Grant Application https://thelakelands.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FDN-Grant-application-2017.pdf

Like us on Facebook @TheLakelandsAssociation